Public Opinion

Consider that the any idea considered as public opinion is typically derived from a poll of some sort, and polls are usually not conducted for the good of the world, they are conducted…to advance a particular cause. So then it stands to reason that public opinions are engineered to propel a cause, be it political, economical, etc. Resorting to the hybrid car illustration, the current perceived public opinion is that while hybrids are better for the environment, they are a long way from competing with current automobiles.

This opinion was crafted by the automotive industry and handed to the American populace. The cause being advanced is the profit margins of automakers who gain the most from sales of SUV’s, notorious for their pollution. In this case the public’s opinion has been formed for them in an effort to maximize sales volume by the automaker. Citizens do not make decisions based on what the ostensible motives of the population are, they do what they feel is in their best interest.

Utilizing the hybrid automobile illustration once more, people will invariably do what they feel is the most beneficial to themselves. Person A may purchase a vehicle for the increased gas mileage, while Person B may do the same but because of the tax incentives that may exist. The concept of a public opinion only seeks to make it seem as though everyone is purchasing one, so you should as well.

This type of “do as the Romans do” mentality is exactly what the specialty groups seek to inspire, because this plays to their aims. By cloaking their desires in a robe of public opinion, they can then goad the unaware portion of the populace into a line of thought, or anything else for that matter. The concept of public opinion is simply a ruse designed by special interest groups to further their individual causes.

True public opinion as we know it does not exist. There may be trends that exist, but this is not the work of a single cohesive ideal. There most often are other factors to be considered. Special interest groups are typically the culprits behind the accepted opinions that we view as the public consensus. This is because their ability to thrive is predicated on widespread acceptance of the ideas that they produce.

Ultimately, each citizen has a unique set of beliefs that they hold and there is no poll that will accurately depict the wide range of reasons behind why each of us does what he does.